Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthershave dug themselves into a huge hole, and now have to climb out of it.

The Panthers are now 2-6, last place in the NFC South.

After Newton’s phenomenal rookie season last year, people were thinking this is the Panthers’ year to shine and make a playoff run. Well, think again, because it’s not going to happen.

Newton is in his “sophomore slump,” and being way too cocky. Sometimes throughout the game, when Newton gets a first down or scores a touchdown, he celebrates too early in the game before the Panthers even have a lead. If you get too cocky, you usually end up blowing a lead or letting a game slip away because you are not concentrated on finishing and winning the game. I think this has an effect on the Panthers because when Newton does his celebration, it gets the team hyped up in the wrong way, and they are not focused on what they need to accomplish to get the win.

Newton and the Panthers have nowhere to turn next, because their Week 10 matchup is going to be against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.

The Panthers are ranked 17th overall in passing yards, 12th overall in rushing yards, 13th overall in opposing passing yards, and 20th overall in opposing rushing yards. Although these stats are pretty good, their record shows that they have not been executing.

In most of the games they have played so far, they should have either won, made it a closer, more competitive football game, or they just let the game slip away.

In the beginning of this season, I thought the Panthers would have a pretty good year and Newton would have another outstanding season, but no one has been playing up to expectations and it has been disappointing to watch.

And now we are heading into week 10 and Newton still has no answer for why the Panthers are struggling so badly.